Zimbabwe set to export citrus to China for first time

Zimbabwe will soon export citrus to China for the first time, under a trade agreement signed last year.

Three estates in Beitbridge, Mazowe and Chegutu have registered for export to China, and Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe says the trade protocol will be implemented in this harvest season.

“Chinese importers visited the leading citrus orchards in Zimbabwe, seeing a bumper harvest of lemons & advanced sorting equipment. China and Zimbabwe have signed a protocol on exporting citrus to China, which is about to be implemented in this harvest season,” says the Embassy.

In 2022, trade between Zimbabwe and China jumped 57 percent to US$1 billion in the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year, as deepening diplomatic relations between Harare and Beijing progressively translate into growing trade.

Overall, over 100 000 locals are presently employed by Chinese firms that continue to invest into sectors of the economy such as mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

According to the Observatory for Economic Complexity (OEC), which is regarded as the world’s leading data visualisation tool for international trade data, the main products China exports to Zimbabwe are iron structures, pesticides and machinery.

Zwnews